Concrete Contractor in Chelsea, AL - Driveways and Slabs Built on Packed Ground
Alabaster Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Alabaster that pours driveways, patios, sidewalks, garage floors and slabs for homes in Chelsea, AL, starting with the ground under the slab so the concrete stays put.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Chelsea homes and the ground under them
Chelsea is a mix of newer subdivisions and older houses on bigger, wooded lots, and what people here ask us for is mostly driveways, patios and slabs around the house. On the newer streets we see builder driveways that have settled or cracked within a few years, and on the older places it's usually a worn-out slab or front walk that's ready to come out. We're based in Alabaster and handle Chelsea jobs the same way we handle them in Vestavia Hills and the other cities around it.
A lot of the ground here is clay on a slope, which holds water after a storm and shifts as it dries. That's why every job starts with digging out the soft dirt and packing a solid subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, before any concrete shows up.
Concrete work we do for Chelsea homes
Driveways on newer lots here often settle where the builder's fill was never packed, so we dig out the soft ground, pack a fresh base and pour.
A patio on a hillside Chelsea lot needs to slope away from the house, so rain runs to the yard instead of pooling at your back door.
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and we still pack the base first because a pattern can't hide settling.
We pour front walks and side paths to the driveway, sloped just enough to shed rain and cut with joints that give cracks a planned place to go.
A cracked or sunken Chelsea garage floor usually means the ground under it moved, so we break it out, fix the base and pour a new one.
Colored, stained or textured finishes dress up an entry or patio on a newer home, and we plan the finish around how the slab drains and wears.
On Chelsea's hilly lots, a concrete retaining wall holds back a cut slope so you get a flat spot for a patio or parking, with drainage behind it.
We pour interior concrete floors for shops, basements and additions, with a packed base and plastic under it to keep ground moisture from coming up.
Pool decks here take hot sun and wet feet, so we pour a finish that grips and slope it so splash water runs off instead of standing.
Sunken or crumbling front steps are a trip hazard, so we tear them out and form new ones with even risers and steel inside to keep them together.
For a new shop, garage or addition on a Chelsea lot, we dig to firm ground, pack the base and pour a slab foundation that carries the building.
When you're building on sloped ground, we set footings and foundation walls to fit the grade so the house or addition starts out level.
Small business owners need parking areas built heavier than a driveway, with a thicker base and slab, because delivery trucks and steady traffic wear concrete down.
Decks, porches and additions rest on footings, the concrete pads under the posts and walls, and we dig them to firm ground so the load doesn't sink.
When a slab has dropped on soft ground, I find out why it moved before we lift it, and I'll tell you if lifting won't hold.
We saw-cut old slabs for a wider driveway, a new walk or plumbing access, with straight edges so the new pour ties in clean.
Get a free estimate for your Chelsea driveway, patio or slab
We reply within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look at the job and the ground, and write a free estimate that spells out what's included, with no obligation to go ahead.
(659) 901-5011- Based in
- Alabaster, AL 35007
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Permits, licenses and pricing for Chelsea concrete work
Residential permits for Chelsea homes come from Shelby County Development Services, which handles them for the city under a contract that runs until January 2027, so the county is who we check with before we put a pour date on the calendar. If a permit is needed, we take care of the paperwork, or walk you through it if you're acting as your own contractor. Before you hire anyone, you can check that they're licensed with the state's Home Builders Licensure Board and hold a current Chelsea business license, which the city requires of any company doing business here and which has to be renewed each year. We're fully licensed and insured.
The price on a Chelsea job comes down to the size of the pour, how much soft ground has to come out before we pack a base, whether an old slab has to be broken up and hauled off, how close the truck can get, and the finish. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives your shoes grip when it's wet, costs less than stamped or colored work. The schedule turns on the permit check, the weather and curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before you can use it, the same as on our jobs in Helena and Brook Highland, and the estimate I write lays out what's included so you're not guessing.
Rain, clay and summer heat on Chelsea slabs
Water is the first thing I look for on a Chelsea property, because a good soaking rain on clay softens the ground under a slab, and any spot where the base was only raked level settles right along with the dirt. That's what's behind most of the sinking, uneven driveways and patios we get called about. We dig out the soft ground, pack a firm base and slope the new concrete so water runs away from your house and garage, not back toward the foundation.
Summer heat is the other one. A pour in the middle of a hot afternoon dries the top too fast and can leave a weak, dusty surface later on, so we pour early in the day and keep the slab damp while it cures.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Chelsea
From your first call to cleanup, here's how a Chelsea job goes, and you'll know what's included before anything gets dug up.
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Call or send a message
Call (659) 901-5011 or use the form and tell us what you need poured or fixed. We'll set a time for me to come out to your place in Chelsea.
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I walk the job myself
I look at the old concrete, the ground under it and where the water runs, then write an estimate that spells out what's included. It helps if you're home so we can talk it through, and you'll know the full scope before you decide.
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We check permits, pick dates
Before we set a date, we check with the county office over your address and handle any permit paperwork. Then we pick a pour date that fits the weather.
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Prep, pour and clean up
I'm on site with our crew from dig-out through cleanup, and we cut the joints the same day we pour. Before we leave, I'll tell you when the slab is ready to walk on and when you can drive on it.
Questions about concrete work in Chelsea
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway in Chelsea, AL?
Maybe not, but only the county can tell you for sure. Its list of projects that may not need a permit includes driveways and sidewalks, its permits cover any project over 200 square feet, and it says the only way to know is to call its permit office. We make that call before we set a date, because you're responsible for lawful work on your property even when you hire a licensed contractor.
How do I get a residential building permit in Chelsea?
You start with the city's Zoning Verification Form, sent to the city clerk at cityclerk@cityofchelsea.com. Once the city approves it, the form goes to the county, and you call (205)620-6650, option 1, for the rest of the process, which the city lays out on its Development Services page. If you hire us, we take that off your plate.
Does a concrete contractor need a state license in Alabama for work on my house?
Alabama's home builders law covers work on someone else's house that costs over $10,000, and the state board licenses those builders every year. The law covers homes up to three floors and four units, and you can do that kind of work on your own house yourself.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Chelsea?
I can't give you a fair number without seeing the lot, because the ground work under a driveway here can move the price as much as the size does, and my estimate spells out what's included. If the budget's tight, put the money in the base and go with the plain finish, because the base is hidden on day one and it's what decides whether the slab stays put.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Chelsea?
Most of it comes from a base that settles and joints that were cut late or skipped. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, the same day we pour, and we set rebar, steel bars that hold the pieces together, over the packed base covered above.
How long do I have to stay off new concrete in Chelsea's summer heat?
You can walk on a new slab well before you can drive on it, and I'll give you both days for your pour before we leave. Curing goes on for days after the surface looks hard, so a slab that looks done in the summer sun still isn't ready for a car.
Ask for an estimate on your Chelsea job
A look at the ground tells us whether your old slab can be saved or has to come out, and I'll tell you straight if a job isn't worth doing.
Alabaster, AL